From: (Jim=A0Hampton)
"I AmnotGeorgeBush" wrote in message
... From:
(yea right) On Sun, 08 May 2005 10:38:40 -0400, dxAce
wrote: cooltube wrote:
No Bids @$10, gotta see.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...0986208&ss P=
ageName=3DSTRK:MESE:IT
As opposed to 'fake' copper wire?
dxAce
Michigan
_
Hahaha..

(Most all copper wire on the market is soft draw and will break after a
few years of constant
tension. Hard draw copper wire is very tough
and robust. I use 18g lamp safety wire. This is
the thin copper wire that servers as a safety
ground and as a safety wire in case a link in
the lamp chain breaks in hanging chandeliers. )



Copper wire should NEVER be used as your ground because ( the reasons
you stated, in addition to... ) the inductance value is **** poor.
Copper strap is always desirable over wire. FWIW, many people, hammies
included, feel they are using copper wire when they are in reality using
copper COATED wire. No matter,,, copper wire doesn't compare to copper
strap.

Strap is better, but due to skin effect, you

could copper coat steel and it would work as

well for rf as solid copper.



Skin effect changes the inductance value to equal that of copper strap?

Hmmmm .... come to think of it, they do make
that stuff.

I used to use 8 gauge copper wire for my

longwire antenna. Despite being held by

several trees and anchored at the house,

nothing ever brought it down. Nothing like a

*lot* of copper. Come to think of it, it was

several hundred feet long and worked

gangbusterly on 160 as well as the other

bands. 25 watts and I was solid pretty much

across the country at night; during the

daytime, I still pounded into Washington D.C.

from Rochester, NY using 65 watts. That was

on 160. 15 and 20 meters and 75 watts

worked the world with no problem - other than

the fact that the pattern of that antenna was

real strange. I never got more than a fair

report from England, but Norway, Sweden,

and Denmark would always give me a report

of a very strong signal. Same with Italy.

Regardless, I'd never use anything as light as

18 gauge wire for anything.



I wish I had the room and free space to play with long wires.

73 from Rochester, NY

Jim

Looks like summer is on the way for you guys. Enjoy.